


A Boy Who’s Faking

by skylinesunflowers



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Not Katara Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylinesunflowers/pseuds/skylinesunflowers
Summary: The Avatar and his friends hate Zuko. They’re well within their rights to do so.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko, Toph & Zuko
Comments: 50
Kudos: 524





	1. Failure

**Author's Note:**

> I maintain the opinion that the only person betrayed in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se was Uncle Iroh.

_Came my way on a summer day, flying out of broken soil, safe to say that you blinded me, I saw you and my sight was sore …_

\- Wild Rivers, “Speak Too Soon”

**1.**

Zuko was too proud to admit his failure to the rest of the group. Living up to his name seemed inevitable here, especially in Katara’s eyes, but he couldn’t - _wouldn’t_ \- give them another reason to doubt him.

The seven of them gathered around the fire, taking helpings of whatever soup Katara had put together. It was painfully clear that Zuko wasn’t welcome. He turned away, towards the sky bison, busy with his bales of hay.

“Um, hello,” he said, and winced. Why would he talk to a sky bison? That was so … so damn pathetic of him. A sky bison was his only friend.

And wasn’t it the truth? Whatever relationship he had budding with Mai was effectively annulled by the note he left. Ty Lee and Azula had no loyalty to him, and his father hated him. Ursa had said she loved him, but she was gone. His _uncle_ hated him; the one person he thought would never.

Zuko had _no one_ , and it hurt. The Waterbender, always making her snide comments. The Avatar and his sunny attitude. The Non-Bender, who guffawed at his sister’s barbs, and the Earthbender, who he had wronged greatly. The other three, he didn’t know.

He coughed sharply, into his first, and sank to the hay-covered floor. The sky bison made a noise, but didn’t seem to have any immediate objections. Just as well, for he was tired.

_Tired of being a failure?_ a voice suspiciously close to Ozai’s questioned. _Tired of being lazy, and self-servant, and dishonorable? ___

Oh, Agni, was he.

Katara hadn’t offered him stew, and Zuko wasn’t impolite enough to ask. After all, if she hadn’t offered, he couldn’t desire it. Not that he did. He wasn’t hungry. At all.

Zuko sighed and buried his face in his hands. Would they consider it impolite if he turned in early? It wasn’t as if they wanted him around, considering the fact that nobody had offered him company. No, he would just say he was tired and go up to bed.

He got up and went over to the campfire. There was a delicious warmth and camaraderie around the fire, as if they were a family. Clearing his throat seemed to do the trick, as he’d gained about half of their attention.

“I’m tired,” Zuko said, looking determinedly at the back wall. “Good night.”

There didn’t come a chorus of good wishes for the night, rather a painful silence. Finally, the Avatar - Aang - said, “Good night,” and turned to Katara, his conversational partner for the evening.

As Zuko left, his back turned, he heard her whisper under the cover of the wind. “Typical for a spoiled prince. Doesn’t do any work around here, and goes up to bed early, making us clean up after him like - like some sort of _slaves_.”

Forget etiquette. He wanted to turn around and beat the living daylights out of that girl. It hurt, having his privileged life thrown in his face. Zuko hadn’t felt the part of a prince when his father melted half his face, now, had he?

What he really wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry, but he was far too polite to do that. Zuko had already overstayed his lukewarm welcome, but he couldn’t leave now. Not when they thought he was a conspirator, working with his _wretched_ sister to bring the Avatar down.

He ascended the stairs quickly, and disappeared into his room, collapsing on the bed. This was all he had ever wanted, and, now, it felt as though it was being dangled in his face, mocking him and his horrible choices.

There came a soft shuffle from his left, and Zuko sat up in a panic. If Azula was here, if her cronies were here, he would never forgive himself.

“Cool it, Sparky. You’ve burned me enough for a lifetime.”

He lowered his hands, choosing not to correct her invalid point, considering the fact that his bending was currently out of commission. “I’m sorry about that.”

The Earthbender dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. “It’s harder to get around, sure, but I’m training my hands to sense vibrations like my feet.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. “I - um, that’s nice. I am … sorry, though. It’s not - I was startled, which isn’t an excuse, but …”

Toph cut him off again, pulling herself up on the bed beside him. “Sugar Queen back there’s driving me nuts with all her righteous dog crap. You ever seen a dog? They’re a non-hybrid. I haven’t.”

She waited for him to show a reaction to the joke, but when he didn’t, she frowned. Hastily, he forced a laugh and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, you’re a tough crowd, Sparky. Boomerang Brain would be rolling on the floor by now.”

Boomerang Brain … the Non-Bender. Sokka.

“He has a very good sense of humor,” Zuko said politely. “I’ve been told I don’t.”

“Well, anyways,” Toph said, her voice going gruff, “I just came to say that you shouldn’t let Sweetness get you down. She’s just bitter about you chasing Aang.”

“She’s well within her rights to feel that way,” he said, clipped and cool. Who was he to deny a girl her method of grief?

“Well, all right, Sparky. If you say it’s fine, than I guess it’s fine.” Toph climbed off his bed and began her slow crawl to the door. “Good night.”

“Good night,” he said, and watched her go. When the door closed behind her, he fell on his back and felt the tears spring to his eyes.

If only Uncle Iroh were here. His uncle had endless patience for him, his only nephew. He would give Zuko a hug that he wouldn’t entirely reject, and some confusing, yet sage, advice. Everyone loved Uncle Iroh. He would know what to do.

Zuko felt so selfish, for that being the reason he wanted his uncle. It wasn’t as if he didn’t miss Iroh or his many confusing characteristics. He just … wanted to be accepted. That wasn’t so bad, was it?

_Yes, it is,_ muttered the voice, and a growl of frustration ripped from his throat. Agni be damned, this was so difficult! He - he - he … oh, it was his own fault. He deserved everything he had been given and more.

Zuko couldn’t bear to look at Uncle Iroh’s photo that night. He could only imagine the disappointed look crossing his uncle’s brow, and it stung deeper than Katara’s words.

Rolling over, he pressed his eyes shut. Needless to say, the little sleep he got was plagued with cruel words and hurt, angry glares. Zuko woke up in a sweat around 3:30, and couldn’t go back to sleep.


	2. Burns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read the comments on Chapter 1, and they are so sweet! Thank you.

_Sorry I annoyed you with my friendship._

\- Andy Bernard, “The Office”

**2.**

Zuko shifted again, sighing in frustration. His robes stuck to his skin with sweat, coming from the heavy sun overhead. Their makeshift training field was directly under the mid-afternoon sun.

He knew that, in the vast mythology of the Fire Nation, Agni could be summoned by creating a fire and meditating over it. However, it had failed to account for a Firebender who’d lost his drive.

The Avatar - damn, he had to stop calling him that - was particularly restless today. He kept up a steady stream of chatter and fidgeted when Zuko told him to keep quiet. Agni, if that child wasn’t overzealous …

And that’s what he was. A child, barely twelve, mastering all the elements to battle Fa - Fire Lord Ozai.

Zuko’s power was still fluctuating, though it had grown confident since his return from the Sun Warriors’ civilization. He knew what it was. His fire had to be nourished, and Zuko hadn’t exactly been tending to that aspect of it.

Currently, his bending was reminiscent of a spitting candle. It came and went, gained strength and weakened. But it wouldn’t stay like this forever. It couldn’t. Not when Zuko was already a failure.

“Can we stop?” Aang all but whined. Oh, hey, he’d finally called the Avatar by his name.

“No,” Zuko said, with all the patience he could muster. Think like Uncle Iroh, and all the patience he’d exhibited while training Zuko. “Meditation and breathing exercises are an important part of all bending, not just fire.”

“Well, can we breathe _after_ we eat? It’s been _forever_ since breakfast.” The Airbender flopped over with a dramatic sigh.

“Fine.” Zuko got up and adjusted his robes, trying to combat the stickiness of his sweat. “We’ll come back after lunch.”

The Avatar did a cartwheel and practically flew to the river, eager to get rid of the layer of sweat between his skin and robes. Zuko watched after him for a moment, and then made his way to the communal area.

Katara stood before a pile of sticks, frantically trying to beat two rocks together. Apparently, the fire was proving difficult to start. With an enraged growl that made Zuko’s stomach drop, she went at it again.

Tentatively, he sidled up to her. Katara scowled, blowing some hair out of her face. “What do _you_ want?”

“I can help you start the fire,” he offered, wincing at the hard look she gave him. Every time she met his eyes, Zuko was reminded horribly of Azula, the sister he’d always loved.

“Fine,” Katara gritted out, backing away from the flames. “If that fire goes anywhere other than the sticks, you’ll be wetter than a penguin in winter.”

Concentrating his energy, Zuko held out his hand. He felt a familiar warmth spread through him, and edged closer to the sticks. Fire erupted from his palm.

Wait. No, fire hadn’t erupted from his palm. He just … stood there, like some … failure. What kind of a Firebender couldn’t produce fire? It was in the Agni damned name!

The sneer that painted Katara’s face was filled with loathing and triumph that words couldn’t describe. His eyes flicked up to meet hers, unforgiving icy blue.

“Well, isn’t that just perfect? Your fire’s at full force when your people came to kill my mother, but when I truly need it, it’s gone? Just what I thought you’d do. Run away from any responsibility, like a prince who’s never had to work for anything in his life!”

Her voice carried, ringing furiously with rage. Zuko was aware of the boy - Teo, he remembered - wheeling up from behind the hill. He sensed Toph crawling up behind him, and stiffened.

Katara seemed like a mash of everything he feared and everyone who’d dealt it to him. His father and his fury, Azula and her callousness. General Zhao.

“Hey, Sugar Queen,” Toph snapped, “make like ice and _cool it._ ”

“Why should I,” Katara began, “when he’s virtually useless? He started this war, hunting Aang, and now he can’t even pull his weight around camp?”

“I didn’t start the war!” Zuko cried, desperate for some sort of a holding on things. “Fire Lord Sozin did.”

“Like that makes it any better! Your ancestors did it. So what? My mother’s still dead!”

“I’m - I’m sorry.” Zuko rose from the ground, and Katara gathered the water in the fountain into a sizable wave.

“Katara,” Toph said sharply, “stop it. Aang’s okay with it, and that’s all that matters.”

For a moment, a fire burned behind the eyes of the Waterbender, and her icy blue was clouded. They cleared, and the water slashed down on his arm like a whip.

“There,” she said bitterly. “Now you can have another scar to match the first.”

“Katara!” Teo cried, wheeling himself forward.

“He probably got it in a raid trying to kill my people,” she snapped. “First time a Waterbender’s fought back.”

Zuko flinched away as the shouts began, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. For the first time, it seemed to work, as the others began to return from their posts to participate in Katara’s discussion.

Without thinking, he turned and practically ran down to the river. It was quiet there, save for the sounds of insects and birds. Wincing, Zuko rubbed the mark Katara’s whip had left on his arm.

It stung, as did his failure. He wouldn’t shy away from the words she had for him, not next time. It was a moment of weakness, and he would never let them see him like that. Nobody could see him at his weakest. He doubted they’d stick around for long after that.

Maybe this was the wrong idea. Maybe he should have gone looking for Uncle, the only person who would ever love him. It was clear that he was an unwelcome addition here, and he couldn’t blame them for feeling that way. Someone who chased them around the world, asking for shelter and food in return for teaching? Hardly a fair price.

Zuko bent forward, dipping his arm in the lake. She obviously hadn’t held back. Blood dripped into the clear water from his wound. It stung ferociously, but the pain was necessary.

There came a soft rustle from the bushes, and he turned around to see Toph on her hands and knees while covered in foliage. Quickly, he withdrew his arm from the river and went to help her out.

“Hey, Sparky,” she greeted. “Sweetness back there was really pissed off, huh? What’d you do?”

He shrank back, and she frowned, pressing her hand firmly into the ground. “I was kidding. Even if you did do something, what she did was just plain mean. Aang’s talking to her now, anyways.”

“It’s fine. She has every right to be mad.”

“So you keep saying.”

Zuko sat Toph down beside him, and she adjusted until her feet were in the water. “Helps with the healing.”

He winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Shut up, Sparky. I want to talk. And I _don’t_ want you to apologize. Is that clear?”

Zuko gulped. He wanted to leave, he wanted Uncle Iroh, Agni, he even wanted Azula. Anything but to sit here and listen to Toph, Katara’s words ringing clear in his mind. He was useless, he was lazy, he was spoiled. He knew all of that. Why couldn’t he just change?

He barely suppressed a flinch and tried to pull his arm out of her grip. Toph was far too strong for him.

“Would you relax? You didn’t do anything. We all know Katara’s being a little unfair. You would’ve tried something by now if you had a plan.”

His good eye widened. They were ... that couldn’t be. He was barely a part of their group, and Katara was so important. They couldn’t - they had to see reason. Zuko had to do _something_.

Even if he did feel like a worthless failure, and all he wanted was for someone to assure him he wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do paragraphs that aren’t perfectly aligned piss you off? It’s so hard for me to get over.


	3. Wounded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toph gets this chapter, because she's awesome.

_Pure? What does it mean?_

\- Sylvia Plath, “Fever 103°”

**3.**

"Listen, Sparky, whatever happened back there wasn't your fault," Toph said. "She was just ... being mean. Though I have to ask ... you have a scar?"

Forget her dear mother, even Sokka, Boomerang Brain with barely any social etiquette, would have reprimanded her for that question. But she had to ask it. Even in her mind, she had fairly clear visuals of Katara, Sokka, and Aang. It wasn't like it was hard, listening to them talk about each other. Hair loopies, ponytail, master Airbender tattoos.

Nobody had mentioned Zuko's scar until today, perhaps out of a sense of social grace. Not even Katara, who'd said her fair share of horrible things to him. This crossed like line, and Toph could feel it in the tremors in the earth beneath him.

He flinched back when she asked, and Toph patted his arm. "Can I touch your face?"

"No," Zuko said almost numbly. "I don't - I'm sorry. I shouldn’t - I can’t …”

Toph cut him off. “I’m sorry. I overstepped. That’s not the point. The point is, she’s just plain wrong.”

She already knew the outcome of Katara’s blow-up. With Aang’s obvious crush on her - yes, she could feel his heartbeat speed up - Toph didn’t think he’d come down too hard on her. And, after all, Sokka did agree with her. Nobody had come around to trusting Zuko fully.

As tough as she was, Toph had to admit her soft spot for the Fire Nation prince. After the first few days he’d spend in camp with them, she had come to realize that he was awkward, and utterly terrified.

Not that he showed it. But, he was no match for the powers of the Blind Bandit, practically crowned the greatest Earthbender of all time.

All in all, Sparky was a decent guy, and that’s all that mattered. Not his past, but the fact that he was trying to chase it. Although it was possible that she only felt this way because it wasn’t her Zuko was chasing to the ends of the earth.

She punched him in the arm and pulled her feet out of the water. “I’ll be back later. I’m going to talk to Sugar Queen.”

Her feet were healing well, especially since Katara had begun a type of water treatment that seemed to be very effective on burns. She could practically walk on them now, with barely a limp.

The voices that were soft by the lake had grown in both magnitude and anger. Teo, who she hadn’t known too well, and Katara were facing off by the fountain, the rest awkwardly peppered between them.

Toph stomped up to them without another thought, and both Katara and Teo turned at the noise. Katara’s heartbeat spiked, and lowered, calmed by Toph’s presence.

“What the hell, Sugar Queen?” she bellowed, so loudly that Appa turned away from his hay and gave a low growl.

Her heartbeat picked up, thumping violently, and Toph could practically see her disapproving glare. She felt it, anyways, burning through her layers like Zuko burned her feet. Toph winced. Bad analogy.

“What do you mean?” Katara cried. She was going for the victim card, then. As if Toph couldn’t rip a hole in her bullshit argument.

“You went way too far with what you said to Zuko,” Teo interjected. “He didn’t even do anything to you, and you keep acting like that.”

“He betrayed me,” Katara bit out with a hiss. “It’s like you all forget that!”

“Oh, yeah? How’d he betray you, Sweetness?”

Katara had bristled, if her tone was any indicator. “In the Crystal Catacombs, he - he …”

“He _what_ , Sugar Queen?”

“We were talking about our mothers.” Her voice took on a deep sadness. “And I - I can’t believe myself now, but I offered to heal his scar.” She grew bitter again. “I’m glad I didn’t. He deserves it for what he did to my people. For what he did to Mom, Sokka!”

“He was Sokka’s age,” Toph said impatiently. “How could a nine-year-old kill your mother?”

“His people did, then.”

That girl should have been born an Earthbender, with the kind of stubbornness she had. Katara’s absolute disregard for facts was driving Toph crazy.

“When the Fire Nation kills your mother, blame the prince that isn’t even in the double digits,” Toph quipped. “Whatever twisted logic you have behind that, I think you should go apologize to him.”

“Apologize? He should apologize to me!”

“Katara,” Toph said, in a cloying voice she’d rarely had to use before, “Sweetness, go apologize to Zuko. Do it, or I’ll _make_ you.”

The threat seemed to snap her out of whatever reverie she was in. Katara sank to the edge of the fountain, put her head in her hands, and started to weep. As usual, Aang leapt to comfort her.

“He did so many horrible things,” she cried as Sokka came around to comfort her.

Toph just rolled her eyes. Couldn’t she grow up? She was fourteen, for God’s sake, two years older than Toph, and even _she_ knew when to suck it up and apologize.

But, of course, the two of them would fawn over her in the way that Toph’s mother did her only daughter, and treat her like a porcelain doll in need of gentle encouragement. Katara loved sympathy, Toph knew, and she wasn’t very good at giving it. Waterbenders were emotional people. She wasn’t.

“Cry as much as you want, Katara, but I want you to apologize to my friend,” Toph said, and spun on her heel. It hurt, a little, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t stand.

The walk to the river was peaceful. For once, the mockingwrens had a beautiful song that wasn’t overshadowed by the incessant sounds of a human beside her. It wasn’t always their fault, either. Just a heartbeat was enough to distract Toph.

She plopped back down beside Zuko, who tensed. He obviously hadn’t been expecting her to come back. Gently, Toph wound her arm around his.

“I don’t know if Sugar Queen’ll apologize, but I reamed her real good,” Toph said. “The Blind Bandit always delivers.”

“But, why?” Zuko asked quietly, voice barely more than a murmur.

“Because you’re my friend, Sparky,” Toph said fondly, “and you’re here to stay.”

His uncountable apologies were more than enough to secure her friendship. And, if it put his constant trembling to a stop, she’d feel doubly achieved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I think Suki and Zuko are both pretty hot, and I might totally write a Sokka/Suki/Zuko fic in the future.


	4. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my braces yesterday, so I took the day off from updating. On another note, I got a 5 on my AP exam.

_Secrets carry weight, like lead._

\- M.L. Rio, “If We Were Villains”

**4.**

Toph took him back to camp when it got dark, her arm looped through his. The camp was in utter silence, gathered by the fire while Katara ladled soup into cups Toph forged from earth.

Aang looked up from his hands, where he spun an air-ball in circles, to greet him. "Eating is more important than bending." He sounded just like Uncle.

Zuko nodded sharply, and spun on his heel. The bison was chewing on his bales of hay, and it would be far less awkward to hold a conversation with him.

He whipped around when Toph coughed meaningfully in Katara's direction. She was red-eyed, looking pitiful in the strange space between sullen and saddened. Zuko knew that place too well; after all the awful things he'd said to Uncle during their search for the Avatar.

"I'm sorry," Katara bit out, obviously reluctant. "I shouldn't have said what I said."

"You don't have to apologize," Zuko said in a soft voice. Maybe Toph had scared her into doing this. Whatever it was, he wouldn't wish it on her, not for what she said. It stung, one of the worst things anyone had ever said to him, but he would do anything to be accepted by them.

"Yes, she does, so shut it, Sparky." Then, Toph grabbed him by the upper arm and forced him down beside here. "Don't be a dumbass."

"Sorry."

"And quit apologizing!"

Zuko caught himself before he could apologize again, and wound his hands around his legs. There was utter silence, which was extremely uncomfortable. He wasn't welcome.

He began to voice his thoughts, but Toph shoved a bowl into his hands and sat back down. Apparently, her feet were healing, which was a great relief. If he had injured her permanently ...

"So, Aang," Sokka began tentatively, "I think you should take a boomerang when you go to the Fire Nation. You know what it did to Sparky Sparky Boom Man. Imagine what it would do to Ozai."

Katara stepped in, and, all at once, everyone seemed to be engrossed n a conversation besides him and Toph, who wound her arm around Zuko’s.

“Don’t overthink it, Sparky. She’s got to be nicer to you. You’re not as bad as you seem, you know.”

That was high praise, coming from Toph. Then again, for some reason Zuko couldn’t understand, she was so _nice_ to him. Like Uncle, except in a manner that was far more brisk.

“Thanks, Toph,” he said quietly.

“Uh-huh. And sorry about before. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s fine.”

“No,” Toph said, exasperated, “it’s not. Would you just accept the apology and think more of yourself already?”

A laugh burst out of Zuko, for the first time in so long. Real camaraderie was rare for a person like him, and it was a wonderful experience.

“We should have a joint training session, so that Aang can figure out how to beat soldiers and the Dai Li. It’s a good idea,” Toph said firmly when he began to protest.

“I - okay. It sounds … good.”

Toph fell silent for a minute, and then turned to relay her plans to Aang. Zuko stared into the embers left from the fire.

Everything wasn’t okay. How could it be, after he’d betrayed Iroh, and hadn’t Katara? And why did she insist that he had?

Zuko shook his head. This feeling had nagged at him; the feeling that it wasn’t right what she was doing to him. The way she treated him.

Even now, Katara shot him a glare from where she was sitting, on Sokka’s left. It reminded him of his sister; of what she’d done to him. Of who this girl from the Southern Water Tribe was starting to resemble.

Zuko didn’t like it. But he was going to put go with it.

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the short chapter.
> 
> Update: So I just decided to add the second installment into this fanfic. LOL, indecisive, I know.


	5. Stuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do any of you guys watch Madam Secretary, or is it just me?

_Make death proud to take us_.

\- Cleopatra, “Antony and Cleopatra”

**5.**

Katara couldn’t understand, for the life of her, why Toph was being so kind to Zuko. The exiled prince of the Fire Nation, who, they all seemed to have conveniently forgotten, _chased them around the world_.

Aang’s kindness was to be expected. The guy was compassionate. Toph, on the other hand, was his exact opposite. It took her _months_ to warm up to Katara.

Not that she was jealous. She had a father who loved her, and a brother who, despite his inherently annoying nature, was a good person at heart. Even Gran-Gran, who could be somewhat rigid in her ideals, was wonderful.

What did Zuko have? A father who hated him, a sister who hated him, and an insane uncle, who, for some reason, didn’t hate him.

She caught him wincing by the lake once, rubbing the place on his arm where she’d stung him with the whip. If it were anyone else, she’d offer her healing at once, but it was Zuko. Zuko, who she’d offered to help once before. Zuko, who’d betrayed her.

Spinning on her heel, Katara made her way back to camp. She didn’t need him. All she needed was a person on her side, for once. Someone to tell her that she was right. That Zuko was the one entirely in the wrong, who’d betrayed her in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

All Toph had done was snap at her, without a bit of sympathy for Katara, or what she’d been though. Lucky enough, she had Aang in her corner, as well as Sokka. How Teo has changed his mind, she didn’t know.

Well, Toph hadn't ever been all that understanding towards her. She could write it off as that and no more.

Violently, Katara used her hands to stir the broth in the pot Toph had provided her with. She could go and forage with the traitor. Katara wasn’t going to feed her.

Healing her was more than enough.

* * *

Zuko leaned against a rock and breathed heavily. Aang was learning fast, and he was quite quick on his feet. At sixteen, Zuko was finding it hard to keep up.

“Hey, Sifu Hotman,” Aang called from where he sat. “Can I take a break?”

“Go ahead,” he said, thankful that he hadn’t had to ask. Agni, he was sore all over from dodging flame that Aang chose to randomly throw at him.

Toph lay nearby, a foot pressed to the ground as she studied the clouds. Wait, she couldn’t study the clouds. She couldn’t see the clouds.

“Hey, Toph, what’re you doing?”

“Not bad, Sparky,” she crowed. “You’ve got a nice butt.”

Zuko nearly choked on his own saliva. “ _Toph_!”

“What? It’s a compliment.”

He deliberately turned away from her, and called out to Aang. “Take a break until after lunch. I’m going to meditate by the river.”

Aang disappeared into thin air, causing Zuko to whip his head around. He couldn’t have just gone so fast, not bogged down by sweat, not to mention all those clothes.

“You won’t find him in that rock, idiot.”

Zuko ran a hand through his hair. “How’s Katara?”

The revelation by the campfire had been almost constantly on his mind. The parallels between his sister and Katara were painful to see, especially when Katara was so obviously trying to be a good person. Then again, Azula had once been good.

“Sweetness should be fine. Her reasoning’s all screwed up, though.” Her voice went soft. “I don’t think you should let her talk to you the way she does. It’s just … wrong.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said briskly. “How are your feet? And, before you yell, I’m -”

“God, Sparky!” Toph cried. “For the last time, if you don’t quit apologizing, I’ll smack you.”

That was how she showed love. Instead of recoiling violently, he laughed. Everything in his body still went tense, but he felt safe. He knew she wouldn’t hurt him. His friend.

“Hey, Zuko,” she said casually, “how’d you get your scar? Was it in an accident or something?”

Taken aback by the question, it took him a minute to respond. “No. It was on purpose. I was invited to my first meeting in the war room, and I spoke up against my father’s general. My father decided that we would fight an Agni Kai.” At her curious look, he added, “That’s a fire battle. I refused to fight him, and he - he took my face in his hand and burned me.”

Her breath hitched, and she appeared visibly shaken. The great Toph Beifong, floored by Zuko’s sob story. No, not a sob story. He didn’t deserve e what Ozai did to him.

“I’m so - Katara - I can’t -”

Toph’s pale face grew redder and redder with anger, until she was practically the color of the Fire Nation’s palace. Zuko flopped down on the stair beside her, and reached out to pat her arm. It felt foreign, to initiate affection. Uncle always did it, back when they were traveling together. He wasn’t used to anything like this.

“I’ll kill her,” Toph growled. “You don’t - how can you - she … why would you let her say that about you?!”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything about it to her.”

“The hell I don’t! I knew she was bitter, and what she said was bad, but this makes it unforgivable.” She grabbed his arm, tight enough to squeeze the blood out of it. “Promise me, Zuko. Promise you won’t let her get away with this.”

Taken aback, he nodded quickly. “I promise, don’t worry. Calm down, Toph.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she snapped, and winced when she caught his cowed expression. “Sorry, Sparky. I’m just really pissed off at Sugar Queen.”

Zuko’s half-formed had better morph into a full one soon. He’d promised Toph to stick up to Katara the next time she said something to him, and he didn’t intend to break her trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an original work to update on Quotev, but I’m honestly feeling like writing fanfics, so here we are now.


	6. Snap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to use a quote by a politician, but I wanted to use one from Russell Jackson instead. Does the White House Chief of Staff count?

_You can lobby anyone. It is the great equalizer._

\- Russell Jackson, “Madam Secretary”

**6.**

Dinner was as awkward as ever, with Katara resolutely looking away from Zuko. Today, strangely enough, Aang decided to involve him in a conversation.

When Toph handed him a spoon, he hesitated. Katara obviously hadn’t been pleased with him, especially after the apology she was forced to give, and he wasn’t sure how happy she’d be with letting him eat her food. After Toph elbowed him in the ribs, he decided he could live with the consequences.

The soup was fairly watery, nothing like anything they had at home, in the Fire Nation. Although, from his studies, he knew that the Water Tribes regularly ate stews and seafood, he wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming taste of freeze-dried cucumberquats.

The vegetables were so bland, and, yet, at the same time, so violently tasteful. An assault on the tastebuds, if anything.

Coughing into his elbow, he locked eyes with Katara. She glared at him and looked away, kicking the dirt.

“At least pretend you like it,” she mumbled in his direction.

Zuko put the bowl down by his feet and rubbed his arm where the sleeve caught at it. The wound from Katara’s water whip had left a scar, and he wasn’t eager to let it get infected when it hadn’t even fully healed.

“Don’t be a baby,” she said, louder this time. Aang stopped his incessant chatter and looked up from his bowl. “I barely touched you.”

“Katara, you whipped his arm,” Toph snapped.

Gently, Zuko put out a hand to stop her. He’d made a promise. No longer could he let a twelve-year-old fight his battles for him.

“He deserved it!”

“What did I do to deserve it?”

Silence. Aang, who’d opened his mouth to defend Zuko, let it hang open. Toph said nothing. Sokka looked up at him with something strange in his eyes.

Katara got to her feet, eyes blazing with icy rage. He could practically see the flames licking at her blue irises with such violence, and greed.

“You killed my mother,” she hissed, with far more contempt than she’d ever used on him before. “You chased us around the world, you destroyed my home, and you _betrayed_ me. You - you probably deserved that scar!”

Zuko closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Calm washed over him, like the peace of the night before the storm. Uncle Iroh was right. He deserved none of what he’d gotten, none of his lot in life.

“I did not kill your mother. I was _eight_. How could I kill someone when I was eight? How could anyone?”

Katara took a deep, shuddering breath. “That doesn’t change the fact that you chased us, or that you betrayed me. Doesn’t change the fact that you did horrible things to earn that scar.”

“Earn?” Zuko snapped, overcome by a wave of anger. “You think I’m proud of this? That I’m proud that my own father hated me so much, that he _burned half my face off_?“

She flinched violently, as did Aang, and Teo. Zuko remembered how he stood up for him, and he let compassion overtake him for a moment. With another deep breath, he was able to continue.

“I never betrayed you either, Katara. You offered to heal me. I didn’t accept. We shared stories. My sister offered me a way home. That wasn’t betrayal to you, not in the slightest.”

“I thought you understood me!”

“I betrayed my uncle, who was always there for me. One day, when we reunite, I will _grovel_ at his feet for forgiveness. But I never did anything of the likes to you.”

“Finally,” Toph huffed from her place on the ground. “Someone needed to get that through Sweetness’s thick head.”

Katara turned toward her, rekindled anger in her eyes, but Zuko spoke before she could begin to argue. “For chasing you, I’m sorry. That’s why I’m here now, to teach Aang firebending. I don’t mean to betray you like I did my uncle. I only wish to help you defeat my … the Fire Lord.”

He got up, leaving that Agni-awful bowl of soup in his still-warm seat, and went over to lean against the wall of the cave. The bison gave a grunt and swallowed another bale of hay. 

Zuko took a shaky breath. That had been painful, but at least he’d kept his promise. Toph deserved that much, after all she’d done for him.

He glanced over at the campfire, and caught her beaming at him. It had been a while since Zuko’d smiled, but it still felt good.

* * *

Two days later, after a rigorous training session, Zuko sent Aang back to camp without him. He needed some time alone, for breathing exercises before a bland lunch. With the help of Aang, Katara had begun cooking more flavorful vegetarian dishes, though he still longed for the meat of home.

“Hey, Zuko!”

He stopped in his tracks, turning to find Katara racing over the hill toward him. Rubbing his arm, he faced her with a stoic expression.

“What?” he asked, fully prepared to defend himself if necessary. Toph had wrung a few more promises out of him, to say the least.

“Nothing. I just,” she looked down at her feet, scuffing the toe of her shoes against the ground, “I want you to know that I’m sorry. For what I said to you, I mean. I didn’t know how you got your scar, but,” she sighed, “but that’s no excuse.”

Taken aback, Zuko nearly flinched. Her expressive eyes held so much honesty; it was frightening. “I - I - I accept your apology. I don’t - I hope it’s not - I’m sorry.”

“No, _I_ am,” she said, a teasing lilt in her voice. “That’s the point.”

He felt himself relax when he heard her tone. She used it with the Avatar, and her brother, and even Toph, on occasion. It wasn’t anything to fear.

“Would you like to come down to the river and meditate with me?” Zuko offered. “My uncle says that it’s important to implement other bending techniques into your own.”

Katara hesitated, then answered, “All right. Sounds like a plan.”

She linked her arm through his and led him to the water, quiet all the way. Zuko watched her in awe, astonished by her acceptance of him. Maybe by her apology, which was so terrifyingly honest.

Somewhere within himself, Toph and Uncle Iroh’s voices blended, until they were practically the same. In a light, teasing tone, they said, _Look how much better it can be._

He heard the subsequent “Sparky” and “Nephew” in their own, respective voices, of course, and grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
